Skills Curriculum

Franklin School Skills curriculum is designed to equip students with the tools and mindset needed to tackle the world’s most intricate challenges. At the heart of this curriculum is Systems Thinking, where students are introduced to the interconnected nature of real-world problems. Through two dedicated courses—Introduction to Systems Thinking [9th grade] and Complex and Adaptive Systems [10th grade]—students learn to see beyond isolated issues, identifying the broader structures and feedback loops that shape outcomes.

To complement this foundational knowledge, students are also immersed in Futures Thinking, Epistemology, Perspective Taking, Agile Thinking, Artificial Intelligence, Data Analysis, and Narrative Analysis. These transdisciplinary skills build students' capacity to evaluate, adapt, and innovate within complex environments.

Throughout the curriculum, students engage with wicked problems, challenges that are multifaceted and resistant to simple solutions. They deconstruct the systems surrounding these problems, uncover causal loops that either reinforce or balance the system, and identify the leverage points where change can be made. By reflecting on past decisions and engaging in evidence-based research, students develop well-informed, creative strategies for transforming systems and solving these deep-rooted issues.

This curriculum fosters a generation of thinkers capable of navigating uncertainty, making sound judgments, and leading innovative change in an increasingly complex world.